Bob Cooney

The Sixers have changed their logo for the first time since the 1997-98 season, announcing today that they are returning to the traditional “76ers basketball” logo and the red, white and blue color scheme. According to the team, the basketball logo was last used during the 1996-97 seasonand has a color scheme originally established in 1963 and used during the Sixers’ two championship seasons in 1966-67 and 1982-83.

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"By bringing back the old Sixers logo, we are connecting the past with the future," Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider said in a statement. "This logo evokes memories of some of this franchise's proudest moments. We also made this change because we understood how much this logo means to our fans, this franchise and to our city. The fans had a big input on this decision. We're excited and we want the entire City of Philadelphia to be excited for Sixers basketball."

In 1997-98, the Sixers modernized the logo, adding in black, silver and gold to a "76ers" that featured a predominant red and silver star to the left and a gold ball with blue stripes below. From 1963 through 1997, the Sixers' identity revolved around a “76” in red and royal blue and a star configuration above the number seven, which was an identity that defined the team through two NBA championships. The 76 and stars were utilized within a bell symbol from 1963-77 and then the “ers” was added to the "76" and contained in a ball.

The only enhancement with the new logo will be a rectangular “court” shaped enclosure around the ball logo with the city name “PHILADELPHIA” grounded along the bottom and silver accent shaping the entire perimeter.

The Sixers will introduce a new secondary logo and wordmark at a later date. Additionally, the team will unveil a new court design and uniforms later this summer.